The world’s worst humanitarian crisis: Three years of war in Sudan

Children across the country struggle to survive violence, displacement, separation from loved ones, hunger and uncertainty about the future. For many, war has become the backdrop of their entire childhood.  

“Children across Sudan are living through one of the most devastating crises in the country’s history,” says Limia Ahmed, deputy national director of SOS Children’s Villages in Sudan. “Millions have been forced to flee their homes, and many have lost access to school, health care and safe shelter. Every day, children face growing risks of hunger, disease, and exploitation, while their sense of safety and normalcy continues to wear down.”    

SOS Children’s Villages continues to serve children and families in need with basic needs, protection and psychosocial support, but humanitarian needs remain urgent:   

— More than 30 million (three in every five) people require urgent aid—the highest number of people in need ever recorded.   

— More than 21 million people face catastrophic levels of hunger.  

— More than 12 million people have been forced to flee their homes—more than half of them children—making it the world’s largest displacement crisis.  

— More than 70% of health care facilities are not functioning—leading to devastating outbreaks of diseases like cholera and malaria.  

And, with famine declared, more than 6.3 children and families are on the brink of starvation.  

Growing needs, sustained response 

More than six million children have been displaced from their homes, and many children and families have fled to Chad. 

But many children have been separated from their families during the frantic flight from Sudan or arrived completely alone. Others are living with host families or distant relatives who themselves struggle to meet basic needs. 

In overcrowded refugee camps with limited access to food, clean water and education, children face life-threatening dangers—like malnutrition, illness, early marriage and child rape, and exploitation.   

For these children, who have witnessed violence, lost family members and experienced the traumas of conflict and displacement, child-friendly spaces are invaluable—a place where children can simply be children again.    

“Children are anxious and cut off from everything that once gave them safety,” says Alain Routoumbaye, project coordinator of the SOS Children’s Villages Chad team in Ouaddaï. “Our role is to help them feel like children again.”  

Carefully designed environments, child-friendly spaces are tailored to protect and help children process the traumas of conflict, natural disasters and other humanitarian crisis. In these spaces, staff trained in trauma-informed care create an atmosphere where children can rebuild their sense of safety, routine and normalcy.   

Here, children take part in informal education, games, music and theater, including movement-based activities that help them process stress and rebuild confidence.   

Learn more about the importance of continuing education in emergencies.  

Trained staff provide psychosocial support and continuously monitor for protection risks like exploitation, abuse or signs of severe psychological distress.  

Your support can save lives today   

Three years after the start of the war, the needs remain immense.  

Children can’t wait. They need urgent relief to survive and long-term support to heal.    

Your gift to the Children in Crisis Fund provides emergency relief—food, clean water, clothing, medical care and safe shelter—to children who have lost everything in Sudan.   

Together, we can help a generation of children in Sudan rebuild their lives, heal from trauma and create a brighter future.     

Donate to the Children in Crisis Fund